Uran: My sunshine land!

Right next door to Mumbai, lies the beautiful,
unexplored island of Uran

MANALI ROHINESH

Your weary nerves are screaming for respite and you have
been ignoring them so far. You just cannot get around to
doing any reservations because the mere thought of going
away from a routine, creates an anxiety of its own.

There are places close to home and hearth that are
waiting to be explored. Uran is one of them. It is one
of many islands that circle Mumbai, so there is a
regular ferry service to Uran. Commuting back and forth
from Uran to mainland Mumbai is a matter of habit for
many residents of Uran, who live there but come everyday
to Mumbai to work or study. So to get there you have to
hop onto a ferry from the Gateway of India or from
Mazgaon docks. The trip takes about 45-1 hour over
mostly placid waters.

As you move away from the shores, the water gets
deeper and cleaner. If you are on the deck, you can
actually see shoals of fish goofing off for your
attention. Most of the other people on board were Koli (fisherfolk)
who lived in Uran. They caught fresh fish everyday and
came to Mumbai to sell their catch.

I started out at 11.00 am and I was in Uran before
12.00 noon. The ferry was almost empty because most of
the regulars had travelled to Mumbai and were already
going about their business while I was going the other
way. So my friends and I were the exclusive guests on
board this yacht! We sat on the deck under the shade of
a canopy on some nets that were spread out to dry. And
we chugged along over the waves with just the seagulls
for company. They skimmed on the waves and bowed over
your head and then went into a free dive at the food you
threw into the water for them. They truly are a marvel
of aerodynamics - they swooped down on the crumbs in mid
air and never let it hit the water!

When we got to Uran, we walked off the stone pier
which the seawater hadn't been able to corrode and
walked along a bridge straight into the heart of a
placid village. The change of pace was noticeable and we
loosened up considerably. We opted to walk a little,
even though there are autorickshaws available. But the
only other mode of transport seemed to be two wheelers.
Atleast I didn't see any buses belching smoke in my
face.

Uran village is all about little pathways leading
down to someone's front garden or just overgrown trails
that are a pleasure to explore. I went in the summer
season but it felt cool in the woods because sunlight
just barely peeked through the jumble of trees over our
heads. Then since we began to feel hungry, we made our
way to Hotel Uran Plaza, a landmark by itself. Everyone
who's been to Uran and ofcourse the locals know about
this place, just like all of Mumbai knows the Taj Hotel
in Colaba.

This is a property set in a lush coconut grove with
cottages as well as rooms to give out. The cottages can
be rented on a last minute basis, depending on its
availability. A lot of theatre and TV celebs have
chilled out here. The cottages have an open verandah
fronting onto a clean beach, which is not exclusive to
the property but is secluded. The locals have their own
patch of sand and don't feel the need to intrude. The
cottages are strategically situated around a garden that
is dotted with tables, chairs and hammocks and in a
stroke of vivid imagination - a canopied bed! People
chose to have their lunch in the garden and then snooze
in the hammocks or the bed.

Apparently this place is happening on New Year's day.
The garden is bedecked in lights and the booze flows.
The adventurous even take their action to that
strategically placed bed! It may be ideal to revive a
flagging marriage but a bad idea when you have kids
along. But rest of the year, this is an oasis of calm.

This place is owned by a retired vice admiral, Mr
Pereira, who is a navy officer of the old school. He
looked almost British, was still spry and had that erect
posture that separates armed forces' personnel from us -
slouchy civilians. He was in his eighties, tall, fair
complexioned and blue eyed - a charming devil who can
out-drink a lot of the younger crowd. He must have been
a heartbreaker when he was young.

He walks around making sure his guests are
comfortable and then sits down for a nostalgia-laced
talk with a frequent visitor or a local who comes
calling. His Man Friday, Dilip (who does the cooking for
the guests as per their request) whips up some delicious
chicken sandwiches and cold beer for us. I think there
is harder liquor available but lots of people just bring
their own booze and even food, if they wish. We munch on
the sandwiches and pass the beer around. The weather was
just perfect but we were sitting at umbrella-draped
tables so the heat was not going to bother us anyway.

Dilip came to ask us what we would like for lunch and
said he had some fresh catch that day. We opted for
masala prawns and pomfret fish curry. He is such a gem
of a person and an extremely good cook. He's the one who
buys the fresh seafood every morning, stocks up on beer
for the guests and generally runs the show for Mr
Pereira. He lays out lunch for us under shady trees and
it will always rate among the most scrumptious meals
I've eaten. The prawns were plump and juicy and the
coconut based masala was yum. The fish tasted of the
sea, cooked in gravy of tamarind, chillies and a hint of
tomatoes. He had even fried some pomfret for us, which
was mind blowing.

After such a lunch, we went for a walk in the coconut
groves and spotted a tennis court too. So guests who
stayed overnight could have their game of tennis before
they sat down to a hearty breakfast. Some visitors were
frolicking on the beach where the gentle waves lapped on
the shore. A few of them were already dozing on the
hammocks around the garden. I claimed the bed and went
off for my nap. It was a superb location to sleep in.
Picture this: a shady garden that leads down to the
beach, with birds chirping everywhere and the sun hidden
above the canopy. This just could be my home away from
home!

I saw distinctly the merit of owning a place like
this. Mr Pereira lives in a bungalow with huge French
windows on the right side of the garden. From his first
floor, the view is even more dazzling. He has extended a
wing from the left side of his home and these are the
single rooms that he rents out. As you enter the
property, you will see the cottages first, with Mr
Pereira's house on the other side. So he had a nice
business going and the guests provided him with company.
I think he lives by himself with his children living
elsewhere. Talk about having your cake and eating it
too.

After my nap, I went in search of my friends and we
decided we didn't want anything for tea. But Dilip being
Mr Jeeves personified does things the right way! He
served tea in a tea service - complete with a kettle
covered in tea cosy - and put a plate of biscuits for us
to chomp on. Mr Pereira came out and chatted with us
while we ate and the man has good stories to tell from a
time most of us pretend never existed. After all who has
the time for old people and their stories. But they have
a lot to tell us and I, personally love listening to
them. Especially the ones who have had exciting careers
or travelled a lot.

I know from experience what I was talking about
because my school friend's grandpa was someone I would
always run into on Worli Seaface. People watching us
would probably think he was grumbling about his
arthritis or giving me unwanted advice. But he would
talk of a time my generation doesn't even read about
anymore. He was a chemical engineering student who went
on a scholarship to England. He was there all through
the Second World War. So he had memories of blackouts,
air raids, bombs falling, people dying, figher jets
tearing up the skies but the mind only retains the good
out of all the bad things that happens to them. So this
man, (a grandpa I never had), told me that the World War
was a nightmare come true but he still remembered going
down to the basement bomb shelter of the house he lived
in, with his French landlady. She was the one who taught
him to make the best soufflé in the world! So talking
to older men is really my style. They have depth of
character and their lives are burnished with experiences
that just can not be bought for love or money.

Mr Pereira was no different. I'm not going to let
people in on the stories he told us. If anyone wants to
know more about harrowing war machines or hear
battlefield stories told with relish or just talk about
an era gone by, then you know where to go. The food is
also a very good excuse!